WASHINGTON — Federal regulators are cracking down on General Motors and its OnStar subsidiary over the sharing of driver data.
The Federal Trade Commission says GM and OnStar sold detailed driving information to third parties, which was later provided to insurance companies and could be used to raise rates for drivers.
The data came from the OnStar Smart Driver feature, which tracked driving behavior such as speed, braking and mileage. Privacy advocates say some drivers were enrolled without fully understanding what data was being collected or how it would be used.
Under the FTC order, GM and OnStar must stop sharing certain vehicle data with consumer reporting agencies for five years. For the next 20 years, the companies must obtain clear consent before collecting or sharing driver information and must allow drivers to access, delete or opt out of data collection.
GM says it has shut down the Smart Driver program, unenrolled all users and ended relationships with data brokers.